Aside from a goal or a big save, nothing fires up a hockey crowd like seeing an opponent skate to the penalty box for two minutes or less of solitude. The visitors are being reprimanded for cheating, and the home team’s chances of scoring are going up as they play with five skaters to the other team’s four.

At least, that is the theory.

In practice, recent power plays have been nothing to cheer about for the Minnesota Wild fanbase. And that is a point of some emphasis as their three-game road trip begins. Minnesota was 0 for 4 with a visitor from Los Angeles in the box during the 5-1 loss to the Kings on Election Night, and the Wild have now gone 15 consecutive power plays without a goal.

As of Wednesday morning, the Wild’s power play was actually 14th in the 32-team NHL, having scored eight goals in 40 opportunities. But coming off a bad night and a lopsided loss, there was clearly a sense that something needed to change.

“We’re trying, but we work on it every day. We know that we can play good together, and we have 10 guys that can play good power play. But in the last couple of games it hasn’t been good enough,” Wild forward Mats Zuccarello said. “And believe me, I think we know. We just can’t let that creep into our game and get frustrated. It’s gonna come. It’s gonna take a (crappy) goal, and then you’re back in it. So all in all, not good enough on our side. We all know it, but it’s a one-off hopefully, and we get back next game.”

Perhaps the bigger concern in terms of special teams is the penalty kill, which struggled last season and as of Wednesday ranked 31st in the league, ahead of only Edmonton. The Kings got a power-play goal to tie the game, and in the 12 games they have played, Minnesota has killed just 62.5% of their foes’ power plays.

“It’s frustrating, right? Our power play started really hot and we were really good last year. Obviously, you go in stints like that,” said Wild defenseman Brock Faber. “And then, yeah, the PK is the same thing. It’s frustrating. We have to solve it as quickly as we can.”

Michael Milne recalled for road trip

Dealing with an injury during the Wild’s September training camp, forward Michael Milne didn’t get a chance to make much of an impression on the NHL coaching staff. Healthy and playing for the Iowa Wild, he has made enough of an impression in the season’s first month to earn his way onto the big club’s upcoming road trip.

On Wednesday the Wild officially recalled Milne from Iowa and may use the forward in one or more of the games in San Jose, Anaheim and Chicago.

“He’s played really well. I think from the start of the season he’s been the most consistent player that’s been down there. Fast, plays hard, he’s producing down there. He’s been consistently the top forward there, so it’s good to see,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I actually haven’t really had the chance to see him because he was hurt in rookie camp, then he was hurt in training camp. I didn’t get a chance to see him last year. So, based on his performance, his style of game, and the way he’s played, he’s the guy that got the recall, and yeah, there’s a good chance he could get in.”

Milne, 22, was picked by the Wild in the NHL Draft’s third round in 2022 while playing for the since-relocated Winnipeg Ice in the Canadian major junior ranks. He has recorded four goals and four assists in his first 10 games in Iowa this season.